


So You Face it With a Smile

by vogue91



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, F/M, Introspection, One Shot, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 20:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13015200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vogue91/pseuds/vogue91
Summary: He had ran from Hogwarts, but he couldn’t deny that that place had been for a long time his home. And Angelina was a part of that family they all shared.





	So You Face it With a Smile

Fred Weasley was not an easy guy, and she knew as much.

She knew about his innate sense of freedom, knew how he felt the need to escape the world they were all a part of, made of impositions and duties.

His and his brother’s presence was incredibly missed at Hogwarts.

That place had become a little more off since the day the twins had bowed out in such a triumphal way.

Angelina had spent the last year in between half smiles.

And tolerating, tolerating, tolerating.

Tolerating his absence during Quidditch practice.

Tolerating his absence during the interminable hours in Snape’s dungeon, during which the professor could finally work more easily without the oppressing presence of the twins.

She lived of thoughts and memories, those memories who she was stealing her laughs from.

But it was nowhere near enough.

 

~

 

He laughed about himself.

He wasn’t really accustomed to those kind of feelings, to bound himself to someone aside from friendship or kin.

He felt like in chains and, for the first time ever, it didn’t seem such a bad thing.

He knew how it had happened, when it had happened and why it had happened.

Fred had seen her in front of the Great Hall entrance, the day of the Yule Ball, and he was like struck by a lightning.

From there, his mind had started roaming with his eyes, and everything had its centre in her.

Angelina made him laugh, he was interested in her and she was able to scold him when necessary.

He would’ve never admitted that out loud, he found it hard even admitting it to himself but...

Love.

He didn’t understand how it could’ve happened, but he was starting to believe it was actually love.

And he had realized it when he had taken the most drastic decision of all, when he had left Hogwarts alongside that destiny that seemed to have been written for him and George.

Once he had found himself in that shop in Diagon Alley, living the dream he had always shared with his brother, he noticed.

Breaking the chains that were binding him to his routine, he had broken even those binding him to Angelina.

 

~

 

“Fred!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide. open.

The situation wasn’t requiring it, at all, but she allowed herself to laugh, a luxury that had been denied her far too long.

They hadn’t seen each other much over the past year, and at all in the past few months.

Angelina wasn’t thinking about the battle anymore, nor at the war, at what lied in front of them.

Fred Weasley was in front of her, his usual smile, that wasn’t afraid to show itself even on such a time.

“Did you really believe I would’ve missed it?” he asked her, patting her affectionately on her shoulder.

Normally, she would’ve gotten mad.

She would’ve scolded him for his carelessness, she would’ve told him he was an idiot, that he hadn’t changed at all.

But she did none of the above.

She hugged him, glad that he was there too that night, sharing with her the weight of the battle.

 

~

 

When he saw her, it was like the world surrounding him had disappeared.

He hadn’t stopped thinking about her, he had merely given into resignation. They had taken two divergent paths, and the chances to see one other had become more scarce during the time.

But now she was there in front of him, she was looking at him, smiling, showing that nothing had change, that the continuous flowing of time had left untouched what she felt for him.

Fred was there to fight for what he believed in, for all those people in his life that had been, and still were, important.

He had ran from Hogwarts, but he couldn’t deny that that place had been for a long time his home. And Angelina was a part of that family they all shared.

He would’ve fought, and he would’ve done so at her side.

 

~

 

It was the first time she had a chance to really put to the test all that had been taught her. It was like all of a sudden those hours spent reading the books, trying the spells, were making sense.

She had put into account the risks she was facing. What she hadn’t considered, was that she would’ve gotten so close to the end, and that she would’ve been force to use the help of her knight in shining armour.

She couldn’t even begin to explain how wrong that role was for him; she was grateful, immensely grateful.

Fred had abandoned whatever he was doing and ran to help her. She tried to repress the thought that he would’ve done the same for anybody else, when he routed any doubts and kissed her, delicate and quick, and then he went back to the middle of the battle.

There would’ve been time for romance, for those unsaid words, but it wasn’t then. Angelina got back to herself and kept fighting.

She tried to hide the smile on her face.

 

~

 

In the eighteen years he had been alive, he’d never felt so close to the edge of the abyss.

He had seen her, sensed her hardship, the danger getting closer, and he couldn’t even think.

He had just reacted, because it was what his heart was telling him to do.

Her smile was his reward, the best one he could’ve desired at that exact moment, where the reasons to smile were definitely weakening.

He kissed her, always listening to his instincts, and when he went back into the rage of the battle he was convinced he could’ve stood it better than he could the look on her face.

Passing, he saw Snape.

Suddenly, he froze. He stared at him for a few seconds, trying to unravel the tangle of feelings he felt looking at his former teacher.

The traitor.

And yet, he couldn’t feel the hatred he was hoping for.

Because he couldn’t see in the man’s eyes the same madness he had found in the other Death Eaters.

Fear and pain, he would’ve called them, hadn’t he known how improbable it was.

But him, he was not one of them. Not anymore, or he never had been.

Frustrated, he didn’t worry about it anymore and took once again his wand.

That look kept haunting his thoughts.

 

~

 

A look. A laugh. A few words.

And he fell.

He fell, without a sound.

And with him, a little, she felt like falling too. For all she hadn’t said to him, and now could’ve never told.

For all those moments they’ve been apart, when they could’ve been together.

For all the love, that maybe wasn’t even love, but that know was destined to remain of unknown nature.

She wanted to get closer, but she knew it wasn’t her place, that she had lost the right to stay by his side.

Because he had saved her, whilst her reflexes hadn’t been as ready.

She would’ve wanted to divert her eyes, pretending she hadn’t seen it, she hadn’t understood it, but she couldn’t.

It wasn’t rational, but she wasn’t worried about it. Because love, not reason, it’s stronger than death itself. And she kept her eyes on that lifeless body because her heart was dictating so.

Because there was still that smile on him, and it wouldn’t have belonged to her anymore.

 

~

 

In the end, he understood Snape’s look.

And he understood that it didn’t matter whose side they were on, there was no war in Hogwarts that night, only fear.

That fear that belonged to all of them, that gripped their guts.

And he kept fighting, aware, the battle bitter as before.

And them... a second. A moment, a laugh, a flash.

And he fell.

He fell, and the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes forever, was her gaze, locked up in an infinite sadness.

Like she wasn’t supposed to smile anymore.

Fred would’ve loved to tell her what he had kept even from himself, and he fought in vain against the agony of not having more time.

He hoped she would’ve understood anyway, that she would’ve read in those memories they shared all that he felt, to let her have at least a part of that love that, now he was sure, he had for her.

He didn’t know whether she would’ve ever realized it or not, but he allowed himself the irrational luxury of hoping so.

Just because it’s love, not reason, that’s stronger than death itself, and his love would’ve defeated the boundaries of eternal silence.

He passed away, watching her and giving her one last smile.


End file.
